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Kolmoik
The mollluscine inhabitants of the planet Djǐnɡa and numerous nearby systems, the Kolmoik are one of the many vassal species to the Kiellar Command. Anatomy Kolmoik are classified in human documentations as molluscan humanoids, based on their “coleoidic” traits.' ' Head Kolmoik heads follow standard humanoid conventions, being bilaterally symmetrical and hosting the majority of Kolmoik sensory organs. Where hair would be on humans, Kolmoik possess around 76 tentacles of varying sizes, which are often styled to the individual’s liking. Kolmoik have four compound eyes eyes, two larger ones, and two smaller ones just beneath. They have a small noselike structure in the middle of their face, and beneath a mouth which superficially resembles a standard humanoid mouth, if notably less oblong. Where many humanoid species have ears, Kolmoik possess siphons. Tentacles : Kolmoik tentacles are prehensile and bioluminescent, although the former can be greatly hindered if the tentacles are cut particularly short. Thanks to the chromatophores present throughout Kolmoik skin, the colour and intensity of the light emitted from their tentacles can be controlled. Their tentacles continue to grow throughout their lives, and many Kolmoik cut their tentacles as other species cut their hair, as high pain tolerance has long been considered a sign of strength in Kolmoik culture. Kolmoik tentacles have, as such, evolved to retain functionality in spite of this process, and clot and heal extremely quickly as compared to the rest of the body. On the galactic stage, Kolmoik tentacles are considered a delicacy in some circles—in Ragon space, prices for Kolmoik tentacles soar to rival or even surpass Dhasath meat. Kolmoik ink likewise fetches obscene prices, and the two paired together have helped inspire the Ragon saying “One who partakes in Kolmoik and Dhasath today shall be destitute tomorrow.” Torso Kolmoik torsos are likewise humanoid, although they do not display the same distinct sexual dimorphism as many other humanoids. The lack of bones within Kolmoik bodies makes it difficult to suggest a standard body shape among their kind, although many Kolmoik have been known to adopt alien standards for their own physical appearances, making some more familiar than others. Arms Kolmoik have four “arms”, two of which function like the standard definition of arms, two of which function primarily as legs. Kolmoik hands have six fingers each, while their feet consist of one independent toe with the remaining fused into a single broad toe. Physiology Kolmoik internal systems broadly resemble standard humanoid systems, and are clearly descended from invertebrates, but bear “skeletal” traits resembling those of vertebrates, possessing a “skull”, “spine”, and “arm gladii”, the former possibly a modified shell, while the second’s individual vertebra clear resemblance to the gladius found in Earth squids, as do the “arm gladii”(which extend into the “finger gladii”. The average Kolmoik stands at around 145 centimetres, with the bell curve placing the greater part of the population within 7 centimetres of the value. Skull Kolmoik “skulls” hold true to the standard humanoid skull structure, resembling particularly the human mongoloid skull, although their development is unique among humanoids as it shares a highly similar composition to that of Earth mollusks, and thus the structure evidently bears completely alien origins to most humanoid skulls. Kolmoik skulls, in comparison to their body size, are notoriously large, giving them somewhat infantile silhouette. There exist four eye holes, a small hole roughly in the place the average humanoid nose which houses auditory organs, and a jaw on the front of a Kolmoik skull, while the side of the skull has two notable holes positioned near to where humanoids generally possess ears, and serve similarly to the noses of many humanoid species. Nervous System Kolmoik brain-to-body ratio is notably higher than the intergalactic average, although their complex bodily systems in comparison to comparable species leaves their mental capacity only marginally above average, with some exceptions. Sight : As with many sentient organisms, the Kolmoik primarily rely on sight, with two pairs of eyes. Their major eyes—the pair in the place of standard humanoid eyes—can see in most of the visible spectrum save for the longest wavelength reds, and a bit into the ultraviolet spectrum, while their minor eyes, which are slightly smaller, can see some of the longer wavelength reds and much of the infrared spectrum, with little overlap between the two sets. Hearing : Kolmoik hearing facilities are located at the front of their face, and are presumed to be highly modified statocysts. The cavity preceding the auditory organs serves to amplify sounds, making loud noises dangerous to Kolmoik hearing. Smell : The Kolmoik sense of smell, while not spectacular, is notably more capable of distinguishing direction than other organisms with similar olfactory capabilities. Olfactory receptors are housed in the siphonic passages, which lead from the olfactory receptors to the lungs. Taste : Unlike other humanoids, the Kolmoik sense of taste exists entirely independently of the main olfactory system, possessing a select few olfactory receptors along the underside of the tongue, which contains as many, if not more gustatory receptors as compared to the top of the tongue. Touch : The Kolmoik have nervous endings in most areas of the body, but, like the vast majority of organisms, their nervous endings are clustered in areas are involved in interacting with the environment or in reproductive processes. Hygroreception : Hygroreceptors, which sense moisture levels, are present in Kolmoik skin, enabling them to feel local humidity levels, in particular, to feel pain when humidity drops too low. Digestive System The Kolmoik digestive system is fairly unremarkable for cephalopods, save for the almost mammalian intestines, which evolved as a result of omnivorous habits. The Kolmoik will traditionally swallow used shells and other hard materials to grind up plant material in their crop, which their beaks and radulae are unable to fully break down. Mouth : Like cephalopods, Kolmoik have beaks rather than teeth, and serrated radulae, although Kolmoik tongues are notably flexible and suited for verbal communication. The Kolmoik radula further separates the esophagus from the trachea, pulling up towards the back of the mouth to cut off the mouth’s connection to the trachea and open the esophagus. Respiratory System The Kolmoik respiratory system resembles those of most sentient terrestrial organisms, although the internal structures are markedly more frilly and gill-like, and extend up into the trachea. Larynx : Kolmoik larynxes are superficially very similar to human larynxes, although they tend to have a more malleable range and often produce raspier voices than their human counterparts. Kolmoik voices have variable ranges. Deeper voices that carry further tend to belong to more outgoing individuals, while quieter Kolmoik tend to have higher voices. Reproductive System Kolmoik reproductive systems are markedly different from their terrestrial counterparts, as the Kolmoik are essentially hermaphroditic, with some cultural restriction. Kolmoik possess two cloacae, with anterior belonging to the reproductive system, and the posterior belonging to the digestive system. The anterior cloaca produces both spermatophores and eggs, although Kolmoik are generally not self-fertilising, as the gonads only produce one at a time. Kolmoik fertilisation occurs externally, and fertilised eggs are incubated in twin pectoral sacs which also serve to store fat in some Kolmoik, and house Kolmoik ink glands, as does a larger abdominal sac. Kolmoik generally display preference for incubating young in their abdominal sacs, although it is generally considered a matter of personal choice. Life Cycle The Kolmoik begin their lives at fertilisation, which occurs with the combination of spermatophores and eggs, both of which are initially similar in size to grapes. Kolmoik young are generally gestated for between 4 and 4.4 orbital periods, whereby their young are capable of living independently and have used up their embryonic sacs. Kolmoik ink, valued as a delicacy among some groups, is used alongside soft foods during Kolmoik infancy, with no set standard for graduation to solid food. Kolmoik psychological development follows similar trends to other sentient organisms, except in that it never truly stops, as the Kolmoik possess a biological feature known as negligible senescence. Although fragile creatures compared to many others in the galaxy, the Kolmoik do not age, and continue to grow throughout their lives, although their growth rate exponentially decays as they age. Calculating average ages for the Kolmoik is, therefore, highly subject to distortion, so the median age generally used as a measure instead, being around 4720 orbital periods. Homeworld Djǐnɡa(Standardised as Djinga), the Kolmoik homeworld, orbits a red dwarf star less than half the mass of the sun, and is tidally locked. The star, known as Lxāmddàu, has a similar-sized twin known as Hēemlxām which, when visible, provides the dark side with about as much light as Earth’s dusk. The planet itself is comparable in size to Venus, although slightly less massive. The planet has a dense, humid atmosphere and has high winds in the upper atmosphere going from the sun-facing side to the space-facing side. Due to wind and currents distributing heat around the planet, the temperature on the day side and night side are much more temperate than other similar planets with less circulation, enabling life to exist beyond the twilight ring, and keeping much of the dark side well above freezing. Djinga is known throughout Kiellar space as a vacation destination for unique cuisine, historic cities, breathtaking landscapes, and fascinatingly friendly yet metal culture. Tourists are, however, advised Translator Microbes are unable to translate Móitxan, the Kolmoik language. History of the Kolmoik Union Prehistory Djinga climate and star served a key purpose in the evolution and development of Kolmoik culture and physiology. It is believed that the Kolmoik originally evolved in swamps in the northern twilight zone, and developed intelligence as a period of low activity around their home star forced them into the warmer plains of the light side, superficially similar to the primate leap from jungle to savannah. Fire & Primitive Timekeeping The discovery of fire is generally ascribed to a warm period driving some Kolmoik towards the dark side, where colder temperatures necessitated additional sources of heat for the mesothermic Kolmoik. The spread of fire and development of tools are widely considered to have occurred in tandem, and the development of the first civilisations is marked at approximately -8,700,000R, or roughly 853,000 Earth years, with each Kolmoik orbital period lasting 35.777286 Earth days. Unlike civilisations with planets that rotate on an axis, only the dark side Kolmoik historically developed a system of timekeeping based in planetary measures, while light side Kolmoik generally made exclusive use of gravity-based timekeeping measures, akin to Earth’s water clocks and hourglasses, or fire-based measures, akin the Earth’s candle clocks. Religion As time passed and technology developed, a pantheon around the two stars of Djinga began to develop among most major Kolmoik populations. The Lxāmddàu cult worshipped Lxāmddàu as their guardian, while the Hēemlxām cult worshipped Hēemlxām as their guardian. Theological disputes often dominated the primordial Kolmoik landscape, ranging from nuances between the cults to larger religious wars between members of the Lxāmddàu cult and Hēemlxām cult, or fragile alliances between members of both cults against those who believed in neither. Planetary Unification In a period of technology which extremely roughly corresponds with the 1850’s in Earth metrics(Around -10,500R to -10,400R in Kolmoik time), a new religious movement, known as Rûkāi(Unity), swept the planet, championed by a Kolmoik who identified as Rûkāimói(Unifier) Lxāmddàuhēemddàukàe. Rûkāimói and their followers, known as Rûkāimóilon, proposed that it was not, indeed, Lxāmddàu who protected Djinga and Hēemddàu who threatened Djinga, but that Lxāmddàu and Hēemddàu were cosmic siblings who protected the world together. This new peaceful faith spread slowly, but, by around -100R, it had become the planet’s dominant faith, particularly overwhelmingly dominant among younger Kolmoik. In an event known as Rûkāi Djǐnɡa Kàe(Unification of the Homeworld), the Rûkāimóilon began a vigorous and swift seizure of world governments not already controlled predominantly by the Rûkāimóilon, through democratic and violent means depending on the nation. This left almost the entire planet in the hands of Rûkāimóilon governments, who were generally quick to push for planetary unification under a single federated government. Year 0 of the Kolmoik calendar falls within the Kolmoik space age, at the very start of it, in fact. The Kolmoik calendar was planetarily implemented on 16.5R, and saw progressive adoption over a period of 48R, finally being fully implemented on 64R, the 4th anniversary of Rûkāi Djǐnɡa Kàe, and the first Ddáu Rûkāi Lái Kàe(Day of Happy Unity)—a day marked by blue and green outfits, feasting, dancing, singing, and uncharacteristically unrestrained physical affection, particularly the Kolmoik equivalent of hugging, known as ky̌pkǎp(hand-tentacle), which involves holding hands and nuzzling foreheads while linking as many tentacles as possible. Entry into the Galactic Scene In 1,028R, the Kolmoik achieved their first permanent colony in their system, and, by 4,196R, they achieved Type II civilisation status. First contact had since been made with a select few species, with the Dhasath having been the first contacted by the Kolmoik, in the cycle 4,788R. 7,972R would go down as a date marked in infamy for the Kolmoik, for it marked first contact with the Kiellar. At the time of contact, the Kiellar were still distant enough from Kolmoik systems that they were not of concern, and an uneasy trade relationship would arise with the Agreement of 8,006. With the fall of the Dhasath and first contact with the Ragon made in the same cycle, 8,128R, it soon became evident to Kolmoik leaders that some arrangement would need to be made in order to avoid the cruel fate of many races before them. From early 8,137R to the middle of 8,141R, Kolmoik diplomats fiercely negotiated with their Kiellar counterparts. War-wearied from the Second Dhasath War, the Kiellar were unusually malleable in their demands, and the Kolmoik were able to secure themselves as an associated state of the Kiellar, maintaining full internal autonomy and limited diplomatic autonomy. Kiellar-Kolmoik Relations This status would not be maintained, however. Over time, the Kiellar government has maneuvered to seize more direct control of Kolmoik systems, with some success. Kolmoik Space now exists as a protectorate within the larger Kiellar Space, maintaining citizenship. Kolmoik citizenship, however, is not equal to Kiellar citizenship, as Kiellar may inhabit, work, and vote on Kolmoik planets, but Kolmoik may only vote within Kolmoik systems. The the modern cycle, 9,167R, the Kolmoik continue to hold internal autonomy, and have maintained largerly separate systems and social services from the Kiellar, although they partake in the larger Kiellar slavery system, particularly when working on projects commissioned from Relenar. Djinga is known famously throughout Kiellar systems as a vacation destination, both for its beautiful historic cities and diverse, breathtaking landscape. A common modern Kiellar media stereotype of the Kolmoik portrays them as cute psychopaths—friendly and loving until a breaking point. Naturally, this representation is a gross oversimplification of the fact that Kolmoik culture contains some practices considered insanely violent by many races, particularly their practice of cutting their own tentacles, in spite of the presence of pain receptors and blood cells. Culture Language Main Article: Móitxán As one of the few languages in the galaxy that cannot be translated by translation microbes, the Kolmoik language is of active interest to the galactic linguistic community, and serves as a unique obstacle for visitors to Kolmoik worlds, as well as Kolmoik leaving their native systems. Although there have been moves by some Kiellar administrators to phase out Móitxán as a spoken and written language, local Kolmoik governments fiercely oppose any attempts to do so. Indeed, it recently took a lengthy court battle in the form of Nithral of Divethaf v. The Kolmoik Local Infrastructure Committee to establish a precedent for bilingual signage in major Kolmoik metropolitan areas in 9,025R. Naming Conventions On hatching, Kolmoik are named using ordinal numbers with gàm or gàb, a derivation of gàmói(e.g. Āigàb/Āigàm, Èegàb/Èegàb, etc). As they age, most Kolmoik combine nouns and/or adjectives that they believe describe themselves, forming their forename. Names are not held as heirlooms, but rather personal possessions, and, as such, many Kolmoik will change their names to reflect changes in their lives. Kolmoik further practice matrilineal and patrilineal naming. A traditional Kolmoik name goes Forename Name Egg-Fertiliser-kàe Ex(Using a human name): Susan Āigàb Lesliejohnkàe) Category:Kolmoik Category:Species Category:Voyages